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Sakura was frantic, standing half in her tub and half out while try ing to shave her legs and not have a panic attack at the same time. She had made it perfectly clear that having dinner with Kakashi was not a date, and it wasn't. It was dinner between friends. Kakashi was just her friend.
A friend she fantasized and touched herself while thinking about.
Oh, gods, what was she thinking? Why had she agreed to this?
Because it's been 11 months since a man had looked at you the way Kakashi does and you're sick of waiting months for a little physical contact. She blew a strip of hair away from her forehead and swiped her pink razor up the side of her shin, careful not to cut herself. It was still warm enough out to wear a skirt, and for some reason that she couldn't really think about right now, she wanted to look nice for this non-date thing.
But, no matter how much she convinced herself that they were just friends, this was not a date, and she could—and would—keep her hands to herself tonight, she was still freaking out. The last time she had been near Kakashi, standing in her doorway, she had wanted so badly to pull him back into her house and to kiss that insufferable smirk (that she couldn't exactly see, but knew it was there) right off of his face. And that was after they had argued!
How did she think she was going to react to him actually being nice and being his usual cool, flirty self? She knew she would be putty in his hands, much to her frustration. He already had her in frenzy, shaving her legs and trying to find something cute to wear and it was two hours before they had agreed to meet. She needed help. Professional help that only one person could give her.
After her legs were thoroughly rid of any unwanted hair, she toweled them off and applied enough lotion to make her moisturized for days. With a quick glance in the mirror, Sakura rolled her eyes at herself. She was flushed from the edge of the yellow towel tucked around her chest to the matching one wrapped around her wet hair.
Growling at her body for reacting so hormonally to this non-date, she crossed into her bedroom, sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her phone from the bedside table. She quickly punched her thumb into the buttons, dialing a familiar number. On the third ring, a mono-toned voice picked up. "Yamanaka residence," Sai said in a very businesslike manner.
"Hey, Sai. Ino there?"
"One moment."
After a half a second, Sakura's best friend answered breathlessly. "Ino speaking!"
"I need help," Sakura said, dropping her head into her hand as she leaned forward. A quick sting to the back of her calf let her know that in her haste, she hadn't been as careful as she should have. She swiped a finger over the drop of blood and quickly healed the wound.
Ino scoffed on the other end of the call. "Well, I could've told you that." What sounded like a blender whirred to life, cutting the blonde's voice off. When it finally stopped, she piped back up. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
It was eerie how accurate she was with her accusations sometimes. Though Sakura doubted that Ino would ever guess what she was about to tell her. Swallowing, she stood to her feet and paced the length of her bed. "Am I on speakerphone?" She asked quickly. Not that Sai would really care or tell anyone else, but she couldn't risk someone knowing she was this pathetic.
Sakura could hear her friend pick up the phone and tap something on the screen before speaking again. "Not anymore. What's up?"
It would probably be best to start at the beginning, the night Kakashi had popped up in her life so abruptly that her head was still spinning, but she really didn't want to explain everything. Instead, she told Ino about Sasuke's letter, not giving the blonde any time to mouth off about his chronic absence in Sakura's life. She quickly reminded Ino of who Kakashi was and rambled on. "…and now, he's asked me to dinner as friends, and I don't know if I'm doing something wrong by going. I mean, I'm still in a relationship. Should I really be agreeing to dinner with guys that I barely know and who might want me to be more than just friends?"
"Yes," Ino said, not missing a beat. "You should be going to dinner with guys, as more than friends. It's incredibly selfish of Sasuke to expect you to wait for him three-hundred-sixty days of the year just to spend four or five at home. It's not fair to you, Sakura and I've made myself more than clear on how I feel about this."
It was true. Sakura had heard this all before, though never in this context. For the first couple of years, Ino was their biggest cheerleader, helping Sakura get through the loneliness and making sure they had plenty of time together when Sasuke did make his way back home. But, the novelty of a long-distance relationship had worn off fast for her and slowly, she had been trying to convince Sakura that it was time to move on. Maybe she was right. But, not discussing it with Sasuke before she jumped into bed with other guys wasn't fair either. It would be a slap in the face to their entire relationship and she refused to be that kind of woman.
With a sigh, Sakura pulled the towel off the top of her head and dropped it into the hamper by her dresser. "I know, but he still thinks we're in a relationship. If I move on without talking to him first, I would feel horrible."
"So, send him a message. 'Sasuke, I can't wait for you anymore. I deserve a healthy, real relationship that apparently you can't give me'. See? It's easy." The blender came back to life and while she waited for Ino to finish, Sakura rifled through the top drawer of her dresser for a pair of panties. The first few pairs she came to were her age-appropriate, white cotton panties that came in a plastic pack of seven or eight. It had been a long time since she had bought and actually wore panties that could be seen as sexy or cute. When had she even made this transition?
Frowning, she pushed past the top layer of underwear and dug into the back of the drawer, hoping to find something that her mother wouldn't wear. Then again, why should she be wanting to wear sexy panties anyway? There was no way Kakashi would even be seeing them. This wasn't a date, and he most definitely wasn't coming home with her.
Her hand brushed past a strip of lace and she hooked her middle finger around the elastic band, pulling the garment from the depths of her underwear drawer. These panties were not cotton, probably didn't have a stitch of it in the entire thing and had only a thin strip of fabric on the back. She had bought the thong probably three years ago and set it aside for when Sasuke made a visit. Judging by the price tag still hooked around the waist, it had been shoved into her drawer and never saw the light of day again. It would be a shame not to wear it at least once.
As soon as the blender shut off again, Sakura sighed and dropped the towel from around her waist. She cradled her phone between her shoulder and ear, stepping into the thong. "It's never that easy."
"Do you still love him?"
Damn, she hadn't been expecting that question. It threw her off guard and her toes caught on the edge of the thong, nearly ripping through the fabric. Sakura stumbled and caught herself with an arm across her dresser, blinking in surprise. "What kind of question is that?"
"The kind you're avoiding. No one thinks you're a bad person if you don't, you know? Honestly, we're kind of waiting for you to realize it so you can start moving on," Ino replied simply, as if she were discussing how easy it was to pick a favorite flavor of ice cream. But, no matter how much Sakura tried to force herself to retort, she couldn't.
She was stunned, really. It had never occurred to her to even ask herself that question. She had been doing the same thing for so long that she never even gave it a second thought. It wasn't exactly like she gave it much thought on a daily basis. Their relationship only existed when Sasuke was home and every other day of Sakura's life was just…lonely. God, she really was pathetic. Their relationship was pathetic.
"I think I'll always love him. But I don't think I'm in love with him."
"Then go out to dinner with this guy, have fun, and when Sasuke does manage to make his way back home, sit him down and talk to him. But don't wait until after that to live your life. You've done enough waiting." She hated it when Ino made sense. But this was the exact reason why she called her in times of emotional crisis.
That didn't mean she was going to sleep with Kakashi, but she definitely felt better about having dinner with him. Even if he was only nineteen. Of course, that thought made a whole new wave of apprehension roll through her and she bit her lip. "Kakashi's kind of young, though, don't you think?"
"Men reach their sexual peak at eighteen and women reach theirs in their thirties. I'm sure the two of you will find something you can bond over." The smile was evident in her voice.
"You're a pig," she said with a roll of her eyes, not wanting to think about Kakashi at his sexual peak. Actually, that's all she wanted to think about, but she wasn't going to let her thoughts drift to that anymore. Not when it was all she fantasized about the night before.
"Go get laid, Forehead."
"I am not going to get—" The call ended before she could finish her sentence and she stared down at her phone with a scowl. As good at giving advice as Ino was, she was also too good at putting ideas into Sakura's head. The last thing she needed to be thinking about was getting laid tonight. Sure, it was all she had been thinking about for the past…well, eleven months since the last time she had gotten laid, but that didn't mean she was going to do anything about it.
She couldn't.
She wouldn't.
Sakura looked at her reflection, naked except for the black thong sitting around her hips and she sighed. If she didn't want to do anything about it, why was she putting so much thought into something no one except her would see?
At precisely 7:14, Sakura let out a string of curses as she hurriedly brushed on a thin layer of lip gloss and popped her lips in the mirror. She was running a bit late after changing her outfit half a dozen times and finally deciding to wear what she had initially picked out; a calf-length black skirt that hugged her hips and thighs, a red top and black, crop jacket. Despite knowing it was exactly the outfit Ino would have picked out for her, she was still doubtful about it.
For one, it was far too sexy to wear out to a dinner that was definitely not a date. It anyone saw her and Kakashi together, they would most certainly assume that was exactly what they were doing. And secondly, Sakura was almost certain Kakashi would definitely like it. In the end, that was precisely why she kept going back to it and she had given up trying to ignore the outfit.
"Shit," she muttered beneath her breath, shoving her keys and wallet into the small purse looped around her wrist with a strip of black leather. No matter what Kakashi would say, she wouldn't let him pay. That would mean their dinner was a date, and she couldn't even think about that right now.
Her heart raced as she hurried to the front door and fanned her armpits with her purse, hoping she had used enough deodorant to get through the night. Why did he have to make her so nervous? Taking a deep breath, Sakura blew it out and looked to the ceiling above her front door to calm herself down. "Relax. You can do this. It's just dinner."
Dinner with a guy who makes you sweat, wet, and far too horny for your own good.
Sakura scowled at herself, ignoring her inner thoughts before stepping out into the autumn night. The air was cool enough to make her feel like she wasn't about to sweat through her clothes and she breathed a sigh of relief. A little bit of fresh air was already doing her a world of good.
They had agreed to meet at a place Sakura had never heard of, but that wasn't too surprising. If it didn't deliver right to her house, she probably wouldn't know about it otherwise. What she was hoping for was somewhere quiet, small, and not too crowded. And what she walked up to, was the exact opposite of that.
Standing across the street from the address, Sakura stared up at the bright neon sign in the front window spelling 'BARCADE' with a twist of knots filling her stomach. Behind the sign, the front was filled with bright, flashing lights and a string of stuffed animal prizes that could be won from playing the carnival type games. Every single person inside, and the few outside smoking their cigarettes and sharing laughs, looked about ten years younger than her. Instantly, her thoughts turned self-conscious and she hugged her arms around her waist.
Was it too late to go back home? She wondered, chewing her lower lip with worry. There were so many people. What would they think if they saw her with someone so young? Would they think she was the type of weirdo who desperately clings to their youth by prowling for younger men? Or was she just being paranoid?
Before she could answer the questions swirling through her head, she felt someone's presence behind her and whipped her head to the side. Kakashi stepped around her, his hands in his pockets and eyes smiling as he looked across the street. "Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you're not very impressed."
Warmth touched Sakura's cheeks and she ducked her head with a smile. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to," Kakashi glanced down at her and winked. A hundred butterflies fluttered rapidly against the inside of her stomach and she pressed a hand to her midsection to settle them. He gave a nod toward the arcade and pulled his hand from his pocket, holding it out for her as he took a step forward. "It'll be fun. I promise."
Sakura looked from his outstretched fingers, ignoring how badly hers twitched to touch him, before lifting her gaze to his face. She didn't know what to do. Taking his hand would be far too intimate for a non-date. She couldn't even remember the last time she had held hands with anyone. It wasn't exactly like she had many opportunities. And now that she was faced with one, she was too afraid to let herself give in.
Fortunately, her body was far too fed up with her lack of human contact and she was already reaching for him by the time her brain caught up. As her fingers slid against his, her brain may as well have melted. It would be useless for the remainder of the evening. A little bit of intimacy and her hormones instantly took control of her body, silencing any pesky protests from her inner thoughts.
Kakashi guided her toward the building, holding the door open so she could pass inside. To Sakura's surprise, he didn't let her hand go once they got in. He stopped beside a token booth right between the side of the room where they games were located and the other side where a long bar ran down the length of the building. "We could get a drink first, or we could play some games. You choose."
Alcohol was exactly what she needed right now, and Sakura nodded to bar. The lighting was dim over the line of stools and it was far less crowded than the gaming area. She took a seat on one of the stools, gently pulling her hand free from Kakashi's and hoping he couldn't feel how clammy her palms were. If he noticed, he didn't say anything as he sat beside her and gestured to the bartender.
"What'll it be?" The guy said, making Sakura blink in surprise. He looked barely old enough to drink himself and she hesitated, thrown off guard by his very young appearance. His eyebrows lifted as he waited for her answer.
"Two beers, please," Kakashi answered for her with a smile tugging at the edge of his mask. He turned to face her as soon as the bartender passed them two bottles and moved to the opposite end of the bar to another couple. "You don't have to look so nervous, you know?"
"I'm not nervous." She sniffed and put the bottle to her lips, hoping he couldn't see how bad of a liar she was. To be honest, she wasn't as nervous as she had thought she would be. She did, however, still feel like she stuck out like a sore thumb among the younger crowd. Taking a sip of her beer, she grimaced and set the bottle back down in front of her. "Wow, it's been a while since I've had beer."
"You don't drink?"
"I do," she admitted with a small laugh. "Just not beer. I prefer wine."
"Noted," Kakashi said, sipping his beer through his mask. He laughed as she stared up at him in disbelief. "What?"
"Don't you ever get tired of the whole," she paused to draw a circle around her face with her finger. "Hiding your face bit? I mean, I get why."
"I only get tired of it sometimes." His eyebrow twitched, drawing Sakura's eyes up to where a strand of hair fell across his forehead. What she wouldn't give to reach up and brush it aside in that moment…Blinking, she pulled her thoughts away from all the ways she could touch him and raised her own eyebrow in question to his response. He elaborated with another smile that made her wish she could see it. "It gets in the way when I need to use my mouth for certain things."
Heat spread across her body at his answer and she crossed her legs at the knee, pressing her thighs together. The last thing she needed to think about was him using that mouth of his on her, especially now that he was sitting so close and looking at her the way he was.
Maybe alcohol wasn't the best option. It gave them too much time to talk and flirt in the dim lights around the bar. What she needed was to be in the crowd, with little temptation to touch him or kiss him. Sakura sat up straight and turned away from him, focusing on the condensation dripping down the side of her beer bottle. She brought it back to her lips and gulped more of it down.
"Let's go play," She said, hoping that the games would be a good distraction for her hormones.
Kakashi stood beside her and she looked up at his height, gulping back that previous thought. Even with the loud noises and bright, flashing lights, she didn't think she'd be able to look at anything but him all night. He put a hand to the small of her back, his fingers brushing against the small, strip of skin between her skirt and top. Sakura's knees went weak and she had to concentrate on just making her way to the game area without falling to the floor.
Most of the crowd was gathered around the six Skeeball games, and a few of the couples had found the games to win the most tickets leaving a lot of the area open. They passed by a girl squealing in delight as her boyfriend picked out a large, stuffed pig from the wall of prizes. Sakura wanted to laugh at the two of them but couldn't. They were so young and obviously in love. She couldn't laugh at them because she was envious. It sat heavy and disgusting in her stomach, making her regret drinking the rest of that beer.
Thankfully, Kakashi pulled her attention away from the couple as he stopped in front of a large, round machine with a ring of light bulbs beneath the clear dome. Lights spun around the edge, passing beneath four arrows positioned around the game. Sakura raised an eyebrow as she looked down into the dome where in the center, it displayed how many tickets you could possibly win by stopping the light beneath the arrow. She scoffed and looked back up at Kakashi.
"Aren't these games rigged?"
"Oh, most definitely." He grinned behind his mask, pulling a token out of his pocket. Sakura frowned at the gold coin in his fingers. When had he even gotten the tokens? She had been with him from the moment they walked in and hadn't seen him exchange any money for them. She found it hard to tear her eyes away from his fingers, but eventually did as he spoke. "But someone has to win eventually."
The game came to life as soon as the coin dropped into the slot and the lights spun around the edge of the dome at lightning speeds. It took one complete circle before Kakashi's fingers pressed the button, stopping the light exactly where the jackpot was located. Sakura's jaw fell open in surprise and took a step back, staring down at the tickets now piling up at their feet. With a scowl, she folded her arms over her chest and looked up at him. "You cheated."
Kakashi laughed as he reached down to pick up the small mound of tickets. "Maybe I'm just that good. Ever think about that?"
"Right," Sakura rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Do it again, and I'll agree that you're good."
"Oh yeah?" He asked, looking down at the coin spinning between his long, pale fingers. "And what do I get if I do?"
In that moment, Sakura would have given him anything he wanted. She bit the inside of her lip and folded her arms over her chest. The beat of her heart thumped against her forearm, its rhythm a clear sign that she was thoroughly enjoying this at the moment. "You mean the satisfaction of knowing you impressed me isn't enough?"
"Nope," he said with a shake of his head, reaching to push the coin into the slot. The machine came back to life in a swirl of lights and music, but Kakashi's eyes were focused solely on her. "I want something else."
Fuck. She had been hoping the games would put a stop to their flirting, or at least slow it down, but it was proving to do the exact opposite. How could someone be so good at flirting? It just wasn't fair.
Sakura leaned a hip against the plastic dome and shook the hair from her eyes before tilting her head back to look up at him. "What do you want?" Oh, that was quite the dangerous question and she almost regretted asking it. Almost.
The look in his eyes as he glanced down to her lips made things that she hadn't felt in a long time flare back to life. Her legs trembled, pulse raced, and she couldn't resist letting her tongue dart out to lick the gloss of her lips. Kakashi noticed and his eyebrow arched in that deliciously wicked way that Sakura could feel in parts of her body that were dying to be touched. He met her gaze once more, the lights of the game still circling beneath the jackpot arrows, waiting for him to press the button.
"I probably shouldn't say what I want," Kakashi said quietly, igniting the fire inside her. "Seeing as how this isn't a date."
Sakura nodded, knowing it was definitely for the best that he not tell her. But damn, did she want to know. And since her brain was still a jumbled mush, she couldn't stop herself from saying exactly what she shouldn't have said. Which was, "That doesn't mean I don't want to know what it is."
He laughed, the sound sinking through Sakura and warming her from the inside out. Oh, she was going to regret this. That, she was certain of. Kakashi looked back into the dome of lights and nodded. "If I win one more time, I want to kiss you."
Absolutely not.
It was completely out of the question.
She didn't even kiss on the first dates. And this definitely wasn't a date.
The answer was no.
Which was what she should have said. Instead, she looked up at him and nodded. "Okay. If you win, you can kiss me."
His eyebrow arched slightly before he turned back to the game and watched the lights circle around and around. Sakura couldn't look. She was too focused on his eyes, half-lidded and full of concentration as well as something darker that she could feel in her bones. They narrowed slightly before his fingers tapped the button. Behind her, the machine made a sad little noise and she spun to stare down at the arrow. The bulb right next to it was lit up and flashing. Four tickets were spat out and Sakura scoffed, shaking her head.
"So close, yet so far, Hatake."
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I'm not as good as I thought." He snatched the meager amount of tickets he won and added it to the stack in his other hand. Sakura pushed away from the machine and opened her mouth to ask which one he wanted to try next, but never got a chance. She blinked in surprise as he put a palm against the dome and leaned toward her. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her anyway. When his mask brushed against her earlobe, she let her eyes close and held her breath. "Or, maybe, I just want to make you wait for it."
He pulled back and looked down at her, and somehow, she just knew he was smirking beneath that mask. Maybe he knew how absolutely drenched her panties were in that moment and that it was entirely his fault. She swallowed and brushed her hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling much warmer.
His hand slipped around hers and he pulled her toward another game. She tried to focus on how to play but was having a bit of trouble thinking of much else besides how badly she had wanted to kiss him, how badly she was still wanting to kiss him.
They played through a few more. One, she found, she was quite good at. The object was to throw as many balls through a metal hoop before the timer ran out. She had only missed two through the first few times they played. Kakashi accused her of cheating and she laughed it off, tossing another ball through the hoop. "You're just intimidated by a successful woman." Two more went through and her score was almost doubled what Kakashi's was.
"Oh, believe me," He said, missing the hoop by only a few inches. "I'm definitely not intimidated by successful women."
The buzzer went off and the game declared player 1 the winner. Sakura threw her hands in the air and grinned triumphantly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You're looking a little intimidated to me." She snatched her tickets from the machine and added them to the pile they had been collecting. "What next?"
"Well, we haven't tried the Skeeball, but my favorite one is back here," he said, nodding toward the back of the room. The cabinets in the back were mostly shooting games and what looked like a neglected billiards table. Sakura hadn't played in years, but she could probably still put up a good fight if he thought he could easily win.
Smiling, she reached for his hand and nodded. "Lead the way."
There was an undeniable bounce in her step as he led her through the maze of gaming cabinets. A few younger boys were playing a game with fake, plastic horses to race through a pixelated landscape. Sakura watched their screen as she was pulled past them and shook her head. As uneasy as she had been about actually coming into the arcade, she couldn't deny that she was having a great time. Of course, most of it was because of who she was with.
But her smile vanished as Kakashi stopped in front of a large machine that was a bit hidden from the rest of the room. The outside depicted scenes of blood thirsty, zombie ninjas with two main characters fighting them off with double wielded swords. A short, black curtain was drawn around the booth, making the inside quite private. Kakashi ducked inside and held the fabric back with one hand, lifting his eyebrows as he waited for her to join him.
Sakura took a step and hesitated. If she was having trouble keeping her flirting to a minimum when they were surrounded by people, what would she want to do in there? Yeah, it wasn't exactly like a private room, but they would be away from prying eyes. Her brain came back to life just in time to remind her how wrong this was.
She swallowed with a frown, looking toward the rest of the arcade. No one was looking their way. It was as if they were completely invisible. No one would see them, no one would know they were even here together. She felt her body relax as she turned back to the game. Biting the inside of her lip, she ducked inside the machine and took a seat on the little bench next to Kakashi. Her breath froze in her lungs as he let go of the curtain and they were plunged into darkness.
The screen in front of them flared to life as a voice from the crackling speakers announced that a horde of zombies were heading right for them. Lights flashed, zombies shrieked, and all Sakura could think about was the press of Kakashi's leg against the length of her own. "Do you know how to play?" He asked, pulling her attention up to his face.
It was an immediate mistake. The darkness of the booth only made him look more irresistible and the flashes of light from the game caught the features of his face. Sakura shook her head and he leaned forward to put two coins into the machine. A ten second countdown appeared, giving them time to pick their characters and Sakura picked the only girl option.
"This is your attack button," Kakashi said, pointing to a red, circular button on the flat panel in front of the screen. "These two move you back and forth and if we coordinate our attacks, we get more points."
She caught sight of his wink before the announcer spoke through the speakers. "Get ready!" Another countdown, this one only 3 seconds, appeared on the screen before their characters were thrust into the action.
Sakura tapped on the buttons as rapidly as she could, squealing as she sliced through zombie after zombie. Drops of pixelated blood hit the screen. "Does it have to be so graphic?"
"I'm sure you've seen worse."
After thirty seconds of mindless violence, the announcer declared they were at a checkpoint and gave them a chance to upgrade their weapons. Kakashi slid a bit closer to Sakura's side of the bench and glanced at her. "Let me show you a trick," he said softly, reaching toward her side of the button panel. "If you press these two at the same time, you can do a chain attack."
Sakura scooted herself forward and looked down at he buttons beneath his long, pale fingers. Even though she had been holding his hand off and on all night, the urge to reach out and lace their fingers together was almost unbearable. She tried to focus on what he was saying to her, but it went in one ear and out the other.
After a few seconds, the announcer told them to get ready for the second round and Kakashi reached for Sakura's lap. He took her hand in his and brought the tips of her fingers to the button panel. She swallowed and looked up at him, the sound of mindless, hungry zombies howling from the speakers completely melting away.
She could feel the tension between them spiking, filling the small space until she could barely breathe. Their characters were getting slaughtered on screen, but neither of them seemed to care. All they could see was each other and all Sakura wanted was to feel his lips on hers.
Kakashi moved his fingers up her arm, lightly grazing over her shoulder until he found her face. His palm was warm against her jaw and she leaned into his touch with her eyes closed. For the first time since she met him, her brain was completely silent, and she was grateful. The last thing she needed was to hear pesky warnings.
His thumb dipped beneath her chin and tilted her face toward his. She could feel the warmth of his breath across her lips and Sakura couldn't help whimper, powerless to do much else. "You should probably stop me," he whispered, making her eyes blink open. To her right, the game announced that their characters were dead and she swallowed. There were no protests from her brain, no reminders of how wrong this would be.
"I don't want you to stop."
Kakashi nodded, his eyelids heavy as he focused on her lips. Between them, there was only enough space for him to reach up and pull the mask down around his chin. The light from the screen illuminated his face and Sakura didn't know if she'd rather stare at him or kiss him in that moment. He gave her no choice and closed the distance between them.
Her fingers found the sleeves of his shirt and tightened around the fabric to keep herself from slipping off the edge of the bench. For a few seconds, he kept their kiss gentle. Their lips barely touching, brushing over one another in soft, slow kisses that drove Sakura crazy. She wondered if he was being gentle for her sake, but she could almost feel the smirk on his lips and realized he was doing it to tease her. He knew she wanted this, despite all of her protests to the contrary.
For just a brief second, Sakura thought about turning away and proving him wrong. Her pride, however, was quiet and didn't care enough about being stubborn. So, she did the opposite. Sakura reached up and curled her fingers around the back of his neck, pulling him harder against her mouth. Whether he was surprised or not, he didn't show it.
He matched her urgency, tilting her head to the side for a better angle against her lips. This time, he took her breath away. She had never been kissed like this, like there was nothing in the world but him and her. All of her worry melted away, leaving nothing but the desire she had been feeling since the first day they had met.
Kakashi parted her lips with his own as he gently pushed her back along the bench until her back hit the wall. He took control so easily that it startled her. She had no time to react before his tongue slowly caressed hers, making her fingers tighten around the hair at the back of his head. A whimper escaped her throat and Kakashi matched it with a moan of his own.
He looped a hand around her back, pulling her chest against his. Sakura was beginning to regret wearing such a tight, lengthy skirt. She wanted the freedom to crawl into his lap or have him between her legs in some way. There were too many clothes between them and she found herself trying to figure out how to get him back to her house before she changed her mind about all of this.
Kakashi slipped his hand up the back of her shirt, his fingers cool against her heated flesh. He met the clasp of her bra but didn't push his luck by snapping it open. In that moment, Sakura wasn't sure she'd even care. It was hard to care about anything when he was still kissing her in a way that made her toes curl and legs want to open.
As he shifted on the bench, he put a hand to the panel of buttons on the game to steady himself. Their lips parted for just a brief moment and Sakura took the time to breathe, letting her head fall back against the cabinet. The feel of his mouth against her throat made her arch into him with a gasp. "Kakashi," she murmured, taking her bottom lip between her teeth as he found a spot just below her earlobe that made her body ripple with shivers.
A tiny spark nipped at her neck, racing between Kakashi's body and her own. It shot to his hand, still against the button panel and the screen went black with a puff of smoke. She blinked in surprise as he pulled away from her and stared at the game. "Oh, shit." He laughed, turning to look at her once more. "I think I broke it."
"Kakashi," Sakura hissed, sitting up to straighten the jacket around her shoulders. He leaned back only enough to give her room to sit up before dipping his head back down to her neck. She tried not to enjoy the feel of him kissing along the underside of her jaw, but it was proving difficult. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she let her head fall to the side. "What even happened?"
"I didn't expect you to say my name like that," he whispered against her earlobe. Another wave of shivers raced along her body and she bit her lip to keep from moaning. "I kind of lost control."
"We should probably leave before someone notices."
"Uh-huh." He kissed along the length of her jaw, back over her chin and his lips found hers once again. For just a few seconds, Sakura let herself enjoy his kiss despite the malfunctioning machine beside them. With a sigh, she put a hand to Kakashi's chest and pushed him away.
He made a noise of disappointment in the back of his throat but slipped the mask back over his face. Sakura managed to catch a glimpse of the smirk she had been imagining for the past few days before his lips were once against covered. It should be illegal to cover a face that handsome.
Kakashi winked before pulling the curtain open, letting Sakura slip out first. She checked her surroundings first, and once she saw no angry game owners waiting for them, she breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out. The fabric of her shirt was twisted around her waist and she quickly fixed it, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt. No one seemed to even notice her dishevelment, but her cheeks flared with heat anyway.
Once Kakashi ducked out and stood to his full height, he reached for Sakura's hand again. This time, there was no hesitation. She laced her fingers through his and let him lead her toward the front of the building. Just before they could escape through the door, he stopped and Sakura whirled around to face him, her eyebrows pinched together in confusion.
Kakashi simply held up the stack of tickets they had won through the night. "We have to get our prizes," he said with a smile that Sakura was wishing she could see.
Fifteen minutes later, they were hurrying out onto the streets of Konoha with a teddy bear key chain and an assortment of candy that Sakura was delighted was all hers. "You don't like candy?" She asked before popping a strawberry sucker into her mouth.
"Not particularly. I prefer other kinds of sweets." He winked down at her.
Sakura rolled her eyes and knocked her shoulder into his. "Has anyone ever told you, you're kind of a pervert?"
"Nope. Never."
At the corner, where her street broke off from the main road, Sakura sighed and came to a stop. It was the opposite of what she wanted, but knew it was for the best if he didn't walk her home. The temptation would be too strong to resist and for some unfortunate reason, she was listening to her brain again. "I should probably say good night here."
Kakashi glanced over her head to the row of houses and nodded. "I suppose giving you a kiss goodbye would be out of the question."
Sakura's entire body begged her not to listen to that insufferable voice in her head. What was the worst that could happen from just a quick kiss? She sighed and ducked her head, playing with the keychain he had won her as her thoughts argued back and forth. One kiss wouldn't hurt, but there'd be no way she could stop it at just one kiss.
And besides, this wasn't a date! There wasn't supposed to be kissing at all!
Despite what she was so desperately wanting to do, Sakura took a step forward, raised up on her tiptoes and gave Kakashi a quick kiss on the cheek. Her top lip grazed the cool skin of his face while the bottom brushed along his mask. He was smiling as she pulled away and she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, Kakashi."
"Goodnight." He held onto her hand until she took a few steps back, his eyes dark despite the street lamp above them. In the few seconds it took for their fingers to separate, Sakura battled with herself over the desire to invite him back to her house. He knew she wanted it and she knew he did as well.
But, for the first time all night, she thought about Sasuke and how hurt he would be if he ever found out she had cheated on him. She couldn't do it. Her hand fell to her side and she turned away from Kakashi, inhaling a deep, shaking breath of the cool air. It did little to ease the burn of desire still coursing through her.
And though all she wanted to do was look back at him, she kept her face forward, not letting herself stop until she was at her door. Once inside, she let her back fall against the doorframe and sighed, bringing her fingers to trace the edge of her lips and down to the spot on her neck he had kissed. It was impossible, but she thought, just for a moment, she could feel the little spark against her flesh.
AN- well, this chapter turned out much longer than I intended it to. But, we're about to get into some explicit territory :)
